🏗️Trilled to finally introduce ACTION, to accelerate nuclear energy deployment. It is a milestone-based program to address the root causes of project risk for advanced nuclear energy projects. 🔌💡
Replies
Read the full report here: thebreakthrough.org/issues/energ... By myself, Deric Tilson, Joy Jiang, and Spencer Toohill
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 0 0 • view
Cost overruns are a key concern for utilities, financiers, and public utility commissions. This has created hesitancy and slowed deployment. The appropriate approach to create confidence in costs, in our view, is to address the cause of the overruns, not provide a cost backstop.
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 0 0 • view
Two primary drivers of cost overrun are finance cost and labor cost, which are incurred during delays. This program requires appropriate upfront planning to achieve on-time construction and provides an incentive to reach milestones on time.
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 1 0 • view
It works by providing an interest rate reduction on an LPO loan as milestones are achieved on time. Projects that qualify for ACTION will automatically qualify for support from LPO.
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 1 0 • view
The scalable program can support enough projects to reach commercial scale and is technology-neutral. The goal is to support 20 GW of projects by 2035. This value is sufficient for at least three technologies to move down the learning curve, reduce costs, and reach cost certainty
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 1 0 • view
A technology-neutral approach mitigates risks and costs for taxpayers by allowing for a diverse portfolio of designs, projects, and technologies while significantly lowering project costs for buyers, utilities, and developers of all sizes.
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 0 0 • view
The program efficiently uses government funds, maximizing the return on every dollar spent. Funds are transferred internally from DOE to the Treasury, without direct outlays to the private sector.
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 0 0 • view
Extensive sensitivity analysis shows that the program is robust to many potential variables. These include the timing of milestones relative to capital outlays, project cost, and even missed milestones.
jul 17, 2025, 6:43 pm • 0 0 • view